


Golden Hearts

by marinaki



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Courtroom Drama, F/M, Forgiveness, Friendship, M/M, Magic, Post-Trespasser, Romance, Self-Acceptance, Spirits, The Veil (Dragon Age), There will be more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-10-29 16:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10857648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinaki/pseuds/marinaki
Summary: The Dread Wolf has surrendered to the judgement of the New Order. Solas has succeeded in tearing down the veil. The results were not what either side had expected but the trial will not be kind to him. He is resigned to his fate.Lavellan has proven that she does not give up so easily.





	1. The Dread Wolf's Judgement Day

**Author's Note:**

> Cold in lungs, and in face  
> A golden heart, of what became?

They had dressed him in simple lambswool tunic and pants. His arms tied behind his back in an enchantment, hoping to keep his power contained. What they failed to realize was that he didn't have any magic left. Solas had spent it all.

It was his decision to sacrifice everything to try and return the world to what it was before. He succeeded - somewhat. The veil was torn down. Magic flowed through the atmosphere, just as it had in the ancient times of Elvehen. The feeling of magic was no longer like breathing through a straw. You could feel the magic in your breath, on your skin. Spirits were present and happy. If Solas had to surrender all of his powers in order to relieve them and the elves, he would do it again without hesitation.

He couldn't deny how relieved he was when he found that none of the humans, qunari, or dwarves had perished as a result of his mission. When Solas had passed through a small village and seen the first human, a toddler running through a field with his dog, the man couldn't stop himself as he fell to his knees in tears. Such a relief, and a burden, that he had been holding onto. While fighting as the Dread Wolf again, he pushed the feelings away deep into his chest, refusing to be swayed on the chance that innocents would die. The need for his plans success was too great.

The apostate had not seen any of his friends from the Inquisition in years. Before his surrender, many of his followers had tried to support him, reach out to him, but he refused to accept anyone’s help. Resigned to his fate, Solas surrendered willingly to the New Order. A small council of the greatest leaders of the current Dragon Age. They formed shortly after the Inquisition had disbanded. A powerful group that managed large area problems. He knew that Cassandra, as the head of the Chantry would be part of the council, otherwise he had been introduced to no one. His only company were the guards that he had been monitored by since he walked in the front gates of the city.

After spending four days in a dungeon cell, most likely while the New Order debated and tried to make sense of what to do with him, they notified Solas that his trial would begin within the week. It had been enjoyable to spend the time in meditation. Even if the food and accommodations were lacking. He dreamt of old friends, and of course, of Ellana.

He had not heard from her.

He had not expected to, but he had hoped. There would always be a part of him that loved her, and there would always be the image of when he left her, and then when he left her again, seared into his eyes. She would not, could not, forgive him. Solas hoped she would not come to the trial. The last thing he wanted was for her to witness his death. For that’s where this trial would end, and he was resigned to that fact. Although tearing the veil did not kill innocents, he had killed many in his path to get there. Not to mention the lies and deceit.

Well, finally he was here. The trial was about to begin. He was standing in front of the large oak door to the council room (he assumed). Two guards held his arms on each side, and he had no idea how many flanked him, but he guessed at least a dozen due to the sound of armor clanging with each step. With a long sigh, Solas allowed himself to lower his head and collect his thoughts.

Then he opened his eyes, raised his head, and stepped forward to let it be finished with. This life, the many lifetimes he had lived, were about to come to an anticlimactic end.

\----------

As Solas walked into the room, he was at first shocked with the atmosphere. The antique stained glass windows filled the giant chamber with a romantic light. Rows of pews were lined facing up to a raised platform, where about six councilors were seated. There were so many people here, and they all turned to look at him as soon as the doors had opened. The guards continued to pull/lead Solas to the front of the chamber. As he walked down the long aisle, he couldn’t help but look from the corner of his eye and try to spot any of his Inquisition comrades. As he got closer to the front, he could see the Iron Bull. The horns, of course, what had immediately caught his sight. Dorian sat next to him, not even acknowledging Solas’s entrance. Oddly enough, both of them were facing the front. The guards continued to slowly parade the Dread Wolf down between the pews. As he got closer, Solas focused further on the pair of his former teammates, and noticed the first three rows on the right side’s occupants were all facing forward.

They were all the Inquisition members. From Scout Harding, to Commander Cullen, to the horsemaster. All the people that Ellana Lavellan had counted as her greatest confidants and companions were present. All of them were facing the front, and none of them were even looking in his direction.

He was not hurt, he had expected an angered greeting, but he had not even thought of this. Being completely and utterly ignored? Solas was not sure what game was being played, but he knew one was about to begin. He wasn’t sure if he was prepared for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Solavellan Hell. You can't escape.
> 
> This is the first fanfic that I have ever *publicly* posted. Please let me know what you think! I enjoy any and all comments. I promise there will be more to this story. I'm posting this first chapter just to see if there's anyone interested in my ideas.


	2. The Inquisitor Returns

Solas's footsteps echoed loudly as he walked across the stone floor. At the end of the aisle, in the front and center of the room, was a chair. Most likely where he would be residing during this trial. When he and the guards finally reached the front of the room, he looked towards his right one last time to see if he could spot the shining hair of the former Inquisitor in the group attending. 

A cold male voice rang across the chamber.

"Sit down."

Quietly and gracefully, Solas sat on the edge of the chair. Starting to feel tense, he looked up at the table of seated judges in front of him. There were six of them, three humans, two elves, and a dwarf. Each of them were looking down at him from their raised podium, some with frowns, and a couple with curiosity.

In one of the middle seats was Cassandra Pentaghast, the Divine of the Chantry. She was wearing the white, red, and gold robes of the most holy, along with a stoic expression. To her right, were the two elves. A sturdy looking elven man who bore the Dalish markings of Falon'Din, and a bare faced woman, with sharp features and cutting eyes. To Cassandra's left were two humans and the dwarf. The Dwarf looked young, and his eyes sparkled with curiousity at Solas's entrance.

A few moments passed as they seemed to measure him. He did his best to keep his face predominately impassive.

The human man sitting next to Cassandra watched Solas over a pair of reading glasses. He was tanned and had dark hair streaked with gray. He was the first to speak, while referencing to a paper in his hand. His was the chilled voice that had previously ordered him to sit. "Today, in the 9th month of the year Dragon 9:49... The accused, Fen'Harel, the 'Dread Wolf,' stands to be judged by the New Order. His offences include but are not limited to: starting a war, enslaving the elves across Thedas, impersonating a Inquisition officer, tearing down the Veil, and multiple counts of murder." 

Adjusting his glasses, he continued, "New Order Interrogators: Myself: Magister Ales Varghese, Divine Victoria, Dalish Clansmen: Klahan from the clan of Sabrae, Expert on Fade Magic and the Veil from the Circle: Katarina Ginnette, Duke of Orlais and representative for Empress Celene: Thaddeus Muric, and Dwarven Prince: Dortheuss Roderick Kurr Behlen." With each statement he used his free hand to reference to each member.

The Magister, Varghese, looked up from the parchment to focus on Solas. "Judgement will be made without delay. How does the accused plead?"

Solas watched the faces of each of the judges. There would be no trial? He should've expected this. He did expect this, but maybe not so swiftly and coldly. As he began to open his mouth and speak, the doors to the entrance of the chamber slammed open. The whole audience gasped at who entered.

"Witness on behalf of Solas: Ellana of clan Lavellan. I present knowledge as the former Inquisitor."

Frozen to his seat, Solas did his best to control his face into a mask. Watching Cassandra's expression, he knew this event was planned. A way to throw a chip into the trial, put everyone off balance and give him a surer footing. He just didn't know why. Solas fought his desire to turn and look at her as her calm steps resounded through the chamber and she walked towards the front of the room.

"You are late, Ms. Lavellan," Varghese said sternly.

"I am sorry, there was an unpreventable incident, but I came as quickly as I could." She finally reached Solas's side and he tilted his head at her, watching her. Finally looking at her.

She was so much the same. Her hair was pulled up and out of her face, revealing her bare face. Her stance full of pride, something you couldn't teach, something she was born with. Wearing a formal outfit of dark navy, she looked like a War Leader. He did not know how the clothing made the slender elf look so imposing, but he was sure it was Josephine's doing. Ellana still did not look at him, and he remembered the large group of former Inquisition members at his back. 

So now the game would begin.

Seeming irritated, the Magister asked Ellana, "Is there something you would like to say?"

"Yes, there is." She nodded her head to each of the judges in acknowledgement and then turned and bowed to the audience before she addressed the room. "I am here on behalf of all of Thedas. I am afraid you are all about to make a terrible mistake."

\----------

After the disbandment of the Inquisition Ellana had chosen to live in Tevinter with her dear friend, Dorian. She was working with him to create peace in Tevinter with the elves and to try and ease Qunari tensions. After her arrival, she had been offered to stay with Dorian at his estate, but decided to rent an apartment at the edge of the city. The privacy was a welcomed reprieve and the view was wonderful. Tevinter had a sprawling landscape of mountains and jungles; filled with waterfalls and a variety of wildlife. It was lush and the climate was warm. Every evening, she looked out her window at the sunset, like she used to at Skyhold, and saw colorful birds flying home to their nests. It was peaceful, and it was what she needed.

The night the Veil fell, she was asleep in her bed, and was awakened by a terrible dream. In the dream, she had been drowning. Her lungs were constricting and she couldn't breath. A flowy elven dress with strips of loose fabric was wrapped around her limbs and kept her from swimming up to air. Ellana shut her eyes and mouth in order to keep the water out. She didn't want to see whatever was in the murky water surrounding her. Slowly, she sunk deeper and deeper.

She felt a tingling sensation begin in the palm of her left hand, and while she was still sinking further, a strong arm wrapped around her and she was pulled into a broad bare chest. She felt safe, protected. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Reaching her hands up and around her rescuers neck, Ellana started to open her eyes. Looking into the murky water she could make out a pair of pointed elven ears. Then she noticed, where her left hand was, a familiar glowing light. It quickly grew in strength until all she could see was the blaring green light of the fade, and all she could feel were the strong arms holding her.

She had woken up with a gasp and quickly looked to her hand.

Where her arm used to be was now a tendril of fade magic, shaped similarly to a hand. She watched, wide eyed, as she thought of moving her old hand, and this green one now moved. She looked to her right and reached to grab the book on her nightstand. Ellana stared as the fade hand picked up the book.

Quickly, she jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes and ran out the front door of her apartment, slamming it behind her. With a swiftness that only elves can claim, Ellana sprinted through the streets of Tevinter. It was either very early or very late, but luckily that meant that the streets were fairly deserted. It took her about ten minutes until she reached the front gates of Dorian's home.

She quickly scaled the fence and swept through the yard. Dorian really needed better guards. As she finally reached Dorian's room she was glad to see candles were lit. Stepping over the windowsill into his room, Dorian was seated at his desk, with papers strewn about, and completely knocked out asleep.

Walking across the room, she put her right hand on Dorian's shoulder. "Dorian, wake up!" She spoke earnestly as she lightly shook his shoulder.

"Mmm, Ellana?" His mustache was crooked from his head laying on the desk and his eyes were still glassy with sleep. "What's wrong?"

"The Veil has fallen."

"What are you talking about?" He started to sit up and rubbed at his eyes.

Suddenly, she felt the ground begin to tremble. A great shaking that made her legs wobble and her belly surge. Dorian's eyes widened as he grabbed her to hold her steady.

"An earthquake?"

"I told you, the Veil! It's still coming down, this is the Fade." Ellana pleaded with him. "What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do." Dorian told her, and as he looked to her left arm, he yelped. "What is that?!"

Ellana raised her new left hand. "Some kind of side effect of the fade, I think. It was like this when I woke up, I can control it like my old arm."

"You can probably do a lot more with it..." Ellana could see Dorian thinking, and he reached his hand out to touch it. As his expression changed from curiosity to cold acceptance, she questioned him.

"What?"

His expression was strained. "It's Solas' magic. It's the same feeling I got whenever I fought along Solas, his essence."

"That doesn't make any sense..." Her heart began to tighten in fear.

It was then that Ellana could feel a coldness in her fingertips and toes. It was like frostbite. "Dorian, something's happening!" She watched as ice spread from where she stood. Each candle snuffing out as it passed all the way to the burning fireplace, which went out when the ice reached it. 

"Ellana, calm down, you are inheriting your magic!" 

"Dorian, I'm afraid!" Her voice trembled. It was like she could feel the power flowing through her. With every breath, the feeling of a foreign strength flooded through her veins. It was exhilarating and terrifying. Ellana's heart felt like it was gripped in ice, and she couldn't breathe.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Dorian reached his hands out to her and the warmth from them spread from her head to her toes. He was using some kind of warming spell to calm her down, and thankfully it was working.

"Just breathe, Ellana."

She did. That's all she focused on. Inhale, count to six, Exhale, count to six. She continued this until the tightness in her chest abated and she was able to relax into Dorian's grip.

The both crumpled to the floor in each other's embrace as the seriousness of what was happening settled between them. Another groaning shudder came from the ground below them. A strong wind began to blow in through the opened window. 

"Dorian, if I never see you again, please know-"

"Shhh" Dorian scolded her, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I mean it Dorian." Ellana looked into his beautiful silver eyes, and took in every feature of his face. Watched as the wind made his hair flutter over his forehead. Memorizing her dear friend. "I want to say this now. You are my greatest friend, and I have been so blessed to have known you."

"I love you too, Ellana."

They held each other as they waited for the world to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support you guys! I'm happy even if only one person enjoys what I'm writing.
> 
> When I read other Solavellan works, I actually prefer it when writers don't detail their Inquisitor. I love being able to imagine my own Lavellan in the story. It's just my personal preference. One of the coolest things about the Dragon Age: Inquisition story is how different everyone's Inquisitor can be! If you're curious; my Lavellan is fair skinned and freckled, with golden blonde hair braided into a bun. I gave her tattoos of Mythal that blended into her burnt orange eyebrows. Her eyes are a light lilac color.
> 
> I'd love to hear how you all designed your Inquisitor!


	3. In The Fade

When morning came, the elven woman and Tevinter man woke, and the sun rose - just as it usually does. Time moving on, as if no life or death experience had just occurred around the world.

Dusting some dirt from his shoulders, Dorian chuckled. "A bit out of character for you to be so dramatic, Ellana."

"I learned it from the best," Ellana teased back, internally shaken but knowing the the jokes helped to keep them both calm. They were both amazed and confused as to what had happened.

After Dorian and Ellana woke up that fateful day, alive and thrumming with the feeling of new magic - they immediately started to work. Every waking minute and hour was spent building relationships with city elves. Teaching everyone who would listen how to control their new magic, and become proficient in their powers. Ellana had an easier time at it, by natural skill partially, and by the voices of the Well of Sorrows in her mind. One of the benefits of her newly found magic, was the ability to enjoy the fade. She took every memory and experience within the fade as a chance to learn.

Along with training elves, she and Dorian were working tirelessly with the Grand Enchanter, Vivienne, bringing mages together to build bridges amongst all mages in the lands. Dorian continued to work in the Magisterium, fighting against corruption, and spoke frequently for the rights of the elves. There wasn't much backlash now that the elves had magical powers of their own to defend themselves. Some of the more evil magisters had already gone mysteriously missing.

The world fell into a new sort of balance. There was still tension between the magical and non-magical, one race to another, country versus country.

If Ellana started to stop and wonder why the world had not been completely destroyed with the Veil falling, she immediately pushed the thought away and distracted herself with work.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Walking in the fade, she let her hands delicately brush the tips of the wildflowers. She was alone, but not far from a camp in Crestwood. Ellana had been so amazed when the dreadful weather had cleared in the valley, and seen the lovely landscape reawakened. As she stepped towards a rocky outlook, she sat and looked over the valley. Ellana couldn't help but be awed, what a beautiful view.

There was no sense of time as she listened to the sounds of nature and allowed her feet to dig into the dirt. Feeling whole, and complete, there was something about the land that made her feel... peaceful.

"All this time in the fade, and still - you do not come and find me."

Ellana jerked her head to her right, shocked to see Solas sitting on the ground next to her. He had a relaxed posture, with his feet crossed in front of him, and his hands on the ground behind to support him. His simple outfit, the one that he wore all the time, and his jawbone necklace. It was so like him. Casual. Approachable. Hiding himself behind a plain appearance. Looking upon him now, Ellana could see there was nothing simple about him.

Ellana did not want to seem caught off guard and tried to respond quickly.

"As if I could find you if you didn't want me to."

"Maybe," he paused and rested his chin in one of his hands, leaning forward towards her, "...I was waiting for you to come to me."

Ellana was caught in his eyes for just a moment, just long enough to feel the sting behind her own eyes, just from the sight of his blue ones.

"What do you want, Solas." She did not want to show him the myriad of emotions she was currently feeling. Betrayal. Fear. Anger. Relief. Joy. Love.

"How do you like the Fade?" He asked her, watching her expression. She avoided focusing too much on the light in his eyes that reflected the blue of the sky.

She let a moment pass, as she looked over the land. Watching as a fade wind swept through some tall grass, as a spectre shone in the corner of her vision, revealing a gentleness spirit. She thought of everything she had learned since the veil had fallen, about everyone she had met. Never having magical skills before, Ellana had experienced the effect of the fade first hand. It was like going from nothing, to almost everything. Like someone who had never seen color before, suddenly given the ability to see every spectrum of the rainbow.

"I love it." Ellana decided to answer honestly. She fell to her back, eyes upwards to the sky, not caring about the dirty ground. "It was everything you said it would be. Now that I know how it feels, I can't imagine life without it."

Solas smiled down at her and rose to his feet.

Ellana quickly jumped up, not sure what Solas was going to do.

"Why won't you just yell at me?" His expression was an odd mix between grief and humor.

"What do you mean?"

He gestured his hands towards her openly. His beautiful hands. 

"After everything I've done, you're supposed to hate me."

She took a small step back, "I said I loved the fade. Not you."

"You did, once."

Ellana couldn't bear to look at him, and looked at her own hands, both present in the fade. "How could you say that now, after everything... what you did..."

"I only wanted to remove the veil-"

"Well!" Ellana felt her voice rise as she lost control, "you succeeded! The veil is gone. The world is full of magic, elves are mostly restored. I forgive you for that."

"Ellana, I-"

"But I will never forget how you left me." She lowered her voice, " I will never forget the feeling, the despair I had when I didn't know, why."

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"You did. You hurt me more than anyone ever has. I was alone, an elf that was put into a position with a system that didn't even match my own religion. They thought me a heathen! A wild forest girl. When I first met you, I considered you a comfort in that place filled with Shemlen. A little spark of home, right where I could reach you. Whenever I needed an elven story. Your philosophies at the time had seemed slightly pushy, but I always appreciated your honesty and opinion.

"I grew to love you, Solas. Every time I visited, you treated me with respect, in the place where so many wanted to tell me the difference between right and wrong. I don't wonder why I fell in love with you. I wonder why you let me."

Solas stood deathly still and said nothing as he let her continue.

"You knew I was falling for you. You barely tried to discourage me. I thought it was true love, I thought it was gods' blessed. I had never felt this way with anyone before, you blew me away. When you left me, then when you left the Inquisition, I was so confused, I didn't know what to do. I hunted for you. I searched everywhere I could think of, sent spies to all corners of Thedas looking for you.

"Then to find out all your secrets at the Crossroads. My world was torn upside down. I lost my fucking arm! I have come to terms with what you have done, but I cannot see reason in how you made me love you. It was cruel, and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I've lost soldiers lives, I have fought devils and demons, but nothing ever destroyed me as much as the Dread Wolf did."

Solas seemed to flicker in the fade as she had finished speaking, and watched her warily as she walked closer, standing proudly before him.

"I am sorry, Ellana." He said it meaningful.

"I am a much stronger woman than when you met me. Do not think of me as weak."

"Never would I dare." She had forgotten how tall Solas was, and her eyes glanced to his lips as he towered over her. His face became shadowed as he lowered his voice, "and I'll make you stronger yet, my little pet."

"What?" confused and off guard, Ellana watched as Solas' figure changed shape into a dark, shadowed spirit.

"You entice me, little mortal." The demon's voice blended with Solas' gentle voice and a sound that was not of the world of Thedas. "I think you will be lots of fun to play with. Sweet dreams." The dark shadowed hand caressed her face gently, and she plummeted into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a while! I find it impossible to escape the looming thoughts of Solavellan...
> 
> I promise I have a plan guys, and it will make sense.
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	4. Urgent News in a Letter

Ellana's eyes flashed open and she stared up at a lofty ceiling. Her heart was hammering in her throat and she felt like her skin was burning up. Her ears hummed and pounded like the sound of horse's hooves. Her nightshirt stuck to her back, sweat clinging along her neck and spine.

"It wasn't him," she told herself, raising her hand to wipe her sticky forehead.

She couldn't bring herself to sit up, she tried to calm her beating heart by closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing.

"It wasn't him," she repeated, more a whisper than before.

What an odd dream. She had not encountered a demon in one of her fade dreams before, and it was even more traumatic to see one imitating Solas. This had been the first time she had seen Solas's face since she lost her arm.

Ellana cursed herself for her senselessness. She had reprimanded a demon. Pointlessly. Solas hadn't actually gotten to hear what she had been wanting to say for so long. All of those pent up feelings, finally exploding out of her. For some reason, she felt a small weight lift off her chest. That thought alone helped her ground herself in this world.

It had been almost a year since the veil fell. It was time for the leaves to turn colors. Her favorite season, because of the comfortable temperatures. Never too hot, never too cold, and the time for some of the most beautiful sunsets and starry nights of the year.

She had been staying in a lodge in Kirkwall, visiting Varric. She came to help him manage the town and ended up becoming a proof reader for his new book. Kirkwall was calm, and didn't require any assistance from her. The mages were settled after the veil, and no inner turmoil seemed to be brewing about. Varric's book on the other hand... She wasn't good at writing, and she had no imagination. Ellana simply enjoyed reading it. Varric, living up to his reputation as an infamous writer, had no trouble with his creativity. He was writing a story that seemed to romanticize her involvement with the Inquisition, and the Commander Cullen. 

'It will sell,' was Varric's answer when she questioned him about it. Ellana didn't mind, she actually preferred it over what really happened. She supposed that was why Varric chose Cullen as the romantic interest for the story. He was trustworthy, strong, and safe. Maybe if she had more common sense, she would have chosen Cullen. Ellana did not want everyone in Thedas to know the truth between her and her elven apostate, so she was glad of Varric's decision.

Crawling out of bed, Ellana splashed herself with a glass of water on her bedside table. It helped to clear her head. She was just about to change into daytime clothes when she heard a knocking on the door.

"What is it?" she called, as she slipped on her leather riding pants.

"Urgent news from Cassandra," Varric announced from the other side of the door.

That got Ellana's attention. If it was something unimportant, or Conclave related, he would have jokingly called Cassandra 'her most holy high-knee-ness' or one of his other nicknames. This had to be Inquisition related. Which meant it was something that needed to be taken care of swiftly and secretly.

After quickly replacing her sweaty nightshirt for a loose fitting white shirt, Ellana unlocked and opened the door to let Varric in. He sat at one of the chairs on either side of her small dinner table, knocking aside her notes on his story, and setting down the letter. It had already been opened.

"You read it? What does it say?"

"Just read it," Varric answered seriously, not moving his eyes from the letter on the table, as if it were a bomb about to go off.

Cautiously, Ellana strode to the table and slowly picked up the letter. It was in Cassandra's handwriting, and was on simple parchment. This was the second sign that this was not Conclave business.

\---  
Dearest Ellana,

Soon you will get a letter from the New Order. Everything the letter says will be true. Everything you read in it is real, although troubling. The most I can tell you is that someone very important we have been looking for has shown up on our doorstep. I urge you to come to Val Royeaux. Do not wait for the second letter, it will take too long to arrive. We need you here as soon as possible. Ride as swiftly as you can.

Yours always,  
Cassandra

P.S. Tell Varric to stay home.  
\---

"It was delivered by a raven just now. I already have a horse being prepared for you." Varric told her as she lowered the letter.

Ellana couldn't help but look at the leather bound notebook sitting on her nightstand only a few feet away. A journal on the fade that Solas had gifted her with shortly after their first meeting. She carried it with her everywhere.

"Varric,"

"If Cassandra says you need to go, then you need to go."

"Varric," she repeated.

"I have also requested that the kitchen make you provisions, it should be about a three days ride. That's if you take the main roads, which I advise." Varric rose from his seat and headed towards the door.

"Varric," Ellana gripped his shoulder, "what if it's him?"

This made Varric pause. He turned to Ellana, his hazel eyes sharp and lacking their usual humor.

"El," he murmered, "you know it is."

Ellana pulled her hands away from him, and held them against her chest as she asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

"If it were me, I would hear him out. If he has returned for a good reason, you can do what you want. You should do what your heart tells you to."

Varric held her trembling hands, his rough hands holding hers delicately.

"But," he said, a dark look coming across his face, "if he is here to cause you any more hurt, give him hell."

 

Ellana left as quickly as she could, and as much as she was dreading seeing the man who had torn her world apart... a small part of her, somewhere deep inside, began to warm again.


End file.
